All The Small Things

Mood: Happy and Loved

It was my birthday yesterday, and I have to say, it was awesome.

Pretty slow to start, I slept in till 10, when my phone started going nuts. Messages coming in from all quarters, wishing me the best of the day.

From home, and after a beautiful relaxing breakfast of hot coffee and toast, I headed to the Show.

Show was cool, though the weather was hot. I watched the horse events, then perused the pavillions to my little hearts content. Ran into lots of folks from round the town, got lots of cuddles and birthday kisses.

Dinner time came round surprisingly quickly - and the plan had been to meet up with some girlfriends for dinner at the pub, and the three of us girls would go out afterwards. However, it turned out that Miss L. couldn't leave home, as one of her sons was sick.

So instead I was invited to head out to a BBQ at their place, and my other girlfriend and her partner would join us there. Sounded like a good plan to me, so I packed up my vroom vroom and off I went.

On arrival, beautiful Miss L. and I made up some dip, and set the table on the verandah overlooking the valley. Tablecloth, candles, and antipasto. What's not to love about that!

JC was down from Canberra for a visit, and he and Mr. C. joined us after getting dinner underway.  Mex and Cora arrived shortly thereafter with their kids, and a whole bag full of goodies.

Party hats, donned by all present, and a big Happy Birthday banner was hung between the verandah posts. Unfortunately, the grapevine was obscuring it, but Mr. C. made short work of that when he attacked it rather vigorously with the pruning shears.

We had a magnificent dinner, roast done in the Webber, and little packages of vegies wrapped in foil and roasted with butter and a sprig of rosemary. Stunning.

Dessert arrived in the form of a chocolate cake sporting sparklers, and my beautiful friends sang me the traditional. Then the kids and I played with the remaining sparklers in the driveway, spinning and turning like fiery dervishes.

I got home a little after one, feeling so blessed to have such amazing friends in my life.

Mum pointed out to me today that it was the first birthday I have spent away from the family.

I guess it was.

Its one thing to know that your family will always be there for you. Its another thing altogether to know that you have created for yourself friendships that are so strong that they overcome distance, time, and all manner of other obstacles, and endure.

To know that there are people who love you because of who you are, as a person. To know that your friends will make an effort to celebrate with you because they have chosen to be there with you, not because they have to. It made me realise once again how very blessed I am to have my friends in my life.

It also made me realise that I'm shit at calling other people for their birthdays. Thats my birthday resolution this year. I'm going to get one of those Birthday Reminder Books, and ring my wonderful friends for their birthdays, if I can't be with them on the day.